March 15, 2010
The recently announced settlement agreement in the 26-year lawsuit over special education for Baltimore City students is welcome news. It’s been overdue for at least a decade and is a mark of the formidable leadership of schools CEO Andrés Alonso. But there is less to the hoopla than meets the eye. For one thing, it […]
March 15, 2010
Kim Vaccaro of Brick wasn’t aware that last year’s federal stimulus package included a $2.4 million grant to help her district enhance its special education program. So it was news to her that Brick spent just half of the money on new initiatives for special education kids. The rest went to pay the health benefits […]
March 15, 2010
SOUTHINGTON — The town’s integrated special education programs are successful, according to school officials. Francis Haag, senior coordinator of special education, gave a presentation on special education and related services to the Board of Education Thursday. Nearly one-third of the board’s proposed budget, or $19.3 million, will be spent on the 11.2 percent of students […]
March 15, 2010
The number of young children identified as having developmental delays has risen in Oregon, led mainly by a huge one-year surge in Multnomah County, the state reported Wednesday. But that’s cause for celebration amon g special education leaders, who say many toddlers and preschoolers in need of help were missed in the past. Reaching those […]
March 12, 2010
The Dallastown Area School District plans to reclaim many of its special-education students who had been taught in intermediate unit programs. That could be a long-term cost savings for the district, but more importantly, it will let Dallastown have more oversight of its students, said Susan Brousseau, the director of special education. About 13 percent, […]
March 12, 2010
With the clock ticking toward the midnight Thursday end of this session, lawmakers still have at least one major education funding issue to resolve: charter schools. Legislative leaders and the governor agree on the vast majority of the education budget the Senate passed late Wednesday, but at least one major provision will be new to […]
March 12, 2010
Charter schools didn’t get the money makeover they hoped for this legislative session, but they managed to secure a bump in funding and a seat on the State School Board, among other things. Lawmakers argued over a last-minute move to force charter funding onto school districts. In the end, the two houses agreed to study […]
March 12, 2010
An investigation by the California Department of Education has found several Monterey County agencies are violating state and federal laws in their handling of students with mental health problems. The investigation was prompted by a complaint filed by Ilene Allinger Candreva on behalf of her son, Liviu, and another Monterey Peninsula boy whose family asked […]
March 12, 2010
Kansas senators have approved a change in the way the state distributes money for special education to school districts. The 33-7 vote Thursday sends the bill to the House. The issue affects funding for the so-called catastrophic costs of providing services to special education students. The bill was inspired by claims filed by three Johnson […]
March 12, 2010
A sweeping new proposal outlining national education standards offers “a historic opportunity” for students with disabilities “to excel within the general curriculum,” proponents say. The draft plan crafted by education experts convened by the nation’s governors and state school chiefs outlines yearly curriculum recommendations in English and math for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. […]